For Washington State ... Bowl eligibility. One more loss and the Cougars have no chance of going bowling in Mike Leach's first season at the helm. Leach took Texas Tech to 10 consecutive bowls during his tenure with the Red Raiders.

For Utah ... The Utes are hoping to build on last week's win over Cal and continue erasing an 0-4 start to Pac-12 play. They reeled off four straight victories in a similar situation last season. This would be step two, the second time around.

The Trends

For Washington State ... The Cougars have fallen on hard times after a 2-1 start to the season. They're 0-5 in the Pac-12 with consecutive conference losses to Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, California and Stanford.

For Utah ... After suffering through their first four-game skid since 2002, the Utes pounded California 49-27 last week to get back on track. The breakthrough included point production from the offense, defense and special teams.

Player to Watch

Reggie Dunn, Utah: What can the senior do for an encore after returning two kickoffs 100 yards for touchdowns against Cal? Dunn has three 100-yard returns in his career with the Utes.

Key Matchup

WSU's pass game vs. Utah's secondary: The Cougars rank second in the Pac-12 and eighth in the nation with 332.12 passing yards per game. The Utes have just three interceptions on the season.

Popular Comments

Don't look now Aggies and cougars, Utah will be one game back after USC
loses tonight from the Pac 12 south lead. We have a great shot at winning out.
If a couple other teams keep stumbling, we're very much alive for the
chance to play
More..